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3 (More) Signs It’s Time to Invest in Second-Generation DCIM Software

September 29, 2017

It’s no surprise that most data center managers and operators are becoming more educated about what’s available in Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software, and more importantly, which features make it easier to complete daily tasks.

Part of the reason for this increase in data management software knowledge is practical experience. Many organizations are on round two (or three or even four) of their DCIM deployments. Previous attempts at DCIM may have ended in failure, but even successes may have left data center managers wanting more from their tools.

That’s where the new generation of DCIM software tools comes in. Second-generation DCIM software addresses many of the challenges faced by early adopters of its older counterpart and is typically more suited to meet the needs of modern data center environments.

Following up on our previous blog post, here are three additional signs that it might be time for you to invest in DCIM software:

1. You tried DCIM software before and came away disappointed.

As with any early product iteration, legacy DCIM software tools tend to have limited capabilities. Such products often overpromise but underwhelm. As a result, early adopters often struggle to get their software up and running. Once they start using DCIM tools, data center managers might find key functionality missing or difficult to leverage.

Newer DCIM software is more likely to focus on usability and enabling users to leverage features with fewer clicks. Second-generation DCIM provides a more complete solution so you won’t need multiple products or modules to manage your data centers.

2. You want to make the most of your data.

Modern data centers are extremely dense. Smart devices such as intelligent PDUs (iPDUs) come equipped with sensors and ports that allow data center managers to collect and analyze thousands, and in some cases, millions of data points. These include data for temperature, humidity, airflow, smoke/fire, water, contact closure, and other sensors. The performance and quality of such equipment have also improved, without a significant increase in price, making it a more accessible and lower risk investment.

Legacy data center monitoring tools simply can’t support this volume and variety of data. Additionally, data center managers are looking for more visual analytics and improved business intelligence that can provide insights to help them manage their centers. Second-generation DCIM software includes these features while also enabling users to get data in and information out quickly.

3. You're tired of DCIM software tools that are difficult to use.

A common complaint about legacy DCIM tools is that they're not easy to use. Individual pages could take minutes to load, especially with a large database. And since traditional DCIM tools rely on old technology, simply creating a report may take several clicks, and running that report could take hours.

In contrast, second-generation DCIM software uses an elegant user interface that doesn't use outdated technologies, so it works well in modern browsers and with support for mobile devices. Pages and reports load quickly, regardless of the size of your database. Most importantly, the features are intuitive and work the way you'd expect, so you can start using the software without having to constantly jump to documentation or contact technical support.

Bonus: You want innovative software that integrates with your current tools.

Older DCIM software tools typically focus on just a few facets of data center management, such as asset management or power monitoring, and require the purchase of modules to provide more capabilities. In contrast, second-generation DCIM provides a more complete set of common features out-of-the-box while also meeting the evolving needs and requirements of users.

One example of innovation in DCIM software is security management. Data center security is a critical concern for any manager, but legacy DCIM software typically does not have the capability to manage physical, as well as informational, security. This means that managers would either need a separate system for security or access to areas that would simply be secured manually—if at all.

Second-generation DCIM, on the other hand, can be used to manage data center security as well as other critical concerns, such as power management and asset inventory management, providing a single-pane-of-glass view for all data center activities. Cabinets and containment areas can be secured electronically, with RFID-enabled card readers and the associated doors managed within the DCIM software. Role-based granular permissions can limit a user’s physical access as well as to the data that they can view and change in the software itself.

DCIM software has improved considerably in recent years. If these signs sound familiar, consider trading up to second-generation DCIM software that is fast, easy, and complete.

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About DCIM and Data Center Infrastructure Management Software

Today's data centers have increased in size, density and complexity. Managers need an easy to use Data Center Management System to improve efficiency through data center optimization, extending the useful life of their existing physical infrastructure, while ensuring uptime. A new category of tools with integrated processes, DCIM Software, combines the capability of tracking assets with the coordination and validation of managing space, power, data center cable management and cooling.